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Rugby League World Cup 2021 (Merged Threads)


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3 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Unfortunately I think you'll find that any Tongan players who don't qualify on the basis of Tongan heritage moved to Australia or New Zealand with their families when they were kids and grew up in those countries, not in Tonga.

If they moved from Tonga, to Australia or New Zealand when they were kids, then they're blo ody Tongan !

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1 hour ago, Eddie said:

Not quite true, the NRL clubs are their employers so they must have a say. I would be interested to know how many of them wanted to come though. 

Exactly.  The absence of a strong worldwide governing body managing the international calendar (as in cricket, for example) means that whoever pays the piper calls the tune. (And the NRL clubs pay).

This is why the tournament is not realistically going to go ahead.... If it was up to the players, a load of the Kiwis would swiftly declare (via loopholes etc) for Samoa, or Tonga, or Ireland, or whoever. Instead, we are likely to see all NRL-dependent nations withdraw over the next few days.

This has nothing to do with CoVid risks/player welfare, as is evidenced by the Olympic games participation etc etc.... It is to do with the NRL not wanting it's calendar disrupted. 

The Tournament in my opinion, is toast because of this. It has no real chance of going ahead as the NRL clubs will put pressure on players not to compete, and so more nations will withdraw.

One very slim chance is that Tonga has the Prime Minister in charge, I see. (Due to all the corruption etc around their governing body) Their government might see an opportunity to have a crack at winning it and becoming World Champions. Even then though, I expect mass withdrawals by their big names, so I can't imagine the real Tongan team playing. 

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5 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Olympics and Euros are completely different tournaments that have their own challenges and deemed to have overcome them.

Those events proceeding and the measures undertaken to have them proceed will be unique to those tournaments and completely different to the measures required (and the financial ability) for the RLWC.

Lets look at some facts is their a Euros outbreak nope are people getting TXT from Saturdays Challenge Cup Final ? all because protocols where put in place before the games. If the Aussies & Kiwis stick to the set up that's been offered to them they should be ok.

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28 minutes ago, andyscoot said:

Both played football games in Tokyo today.

And the infection rates in Japan compared with UK are?

Sport, amongst other things, is a dream-world offering escape from harsh reality and the disturbing prospect of change.

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5 hours ago, Chrispmartha said:

More I think about it more I think we should just crack on, the group im going to the openng game with agree they aren’t RL fans so don’t really care whos in it

Will there be a opening Game for England ? got tickets for the weekend hotel booked only last week but think Samoa Tonga & PNG will also pull out under pressure from players clubs.

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1 minute ago, Blind side johnny said:

And the infection rates in Japan compared with UK are?

Tokyo is in an a state of Emergency and Japan is pretty much locked down... 

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1 minute ago, yipyee said:

Is Australia pulling out of the Olympics ?

Are the All blacks and Wallabies moth balling their teams?

Or are the rugby league players soft cowards?!

Read the posts above. The players (most of them, anyway) want to play.

It is the NRL clubs that can't see beyond the end of their noses. Seems to be a common problem in our sport, to be honest. The original GB RWC side in 1954 were a bit of ragtag bunch, due to some clubs being unwilling to release players.

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Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
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1 minute ago, Blind side johnny said:

And the infection rates in Japan compared with UK are?

Not sure how that's relevant, especially to my comment which is just stating a fact that right now, both NZ and Aus have athletes overseas competing.

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If the competition were to go ahead without either the Australian or NZ teams would decent crowds turn out to watch the games?

Or is there the danger of it becoming a half-hearted and embarrassing tournament?

This isn't an attempt at negativity, just reality in the face of a relentlessly anti-RL media.

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Sport, amongst other things, is a dream-world offering escape from harsh reality and the disturbing prospect of change.

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Just now, RP London said:

Tokyo is in an a state of Emergency and Japan is pretty much locked down... 

That doesn't answer the question. FYI the comparative rates are orders of magnitude different. Japan has locked down; we have thrown open the gates and shouted "stuff it". I can understand some people being just a bit circumspect about visiting the UK at present.

Sport, amongst other things, is a dream-world offering escape from harsh reality and the disturbing prospect of change.

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1 minute ago, Blind side johnny said:

If the competition were to go ahead without either the Australian or NZ teams would decent crowds turn out to watch the games?

Or is there the danger of it becoming a half-hearted and embarrassing tournament?

This isn't an attempt at negativity, just reality in the face of a relentlessly anti-RL media.

Today's announcement has probably revealed the existence of the RWC to many who wouldn't have known about it. 

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Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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13 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Calling it now - this is gaining so much momentum we might just get u-turn here people! 

 

Interesting… will the RLPA be timid and know where their pay check comes from (as NRLhope) or will they go guns blazing at the appalling lack of consultation? More fun to be had over the coming days!

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2 minutes ago, andyscoot said:

Not sure how that's relevant, especially to my comment which is just stating a fact that right now, both NZ and Aus have athletes overseas competing.

Then we live in separate universes of logic.

Sport, amongst other things, is a dream-world offering escape from harsh reality and the disturbing prospect of change.

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Just a quick line from me that calling out the players for this is both wrong and self defeating.

All the quotes I have seen from NRL players about the World Cup is that they are looking forward to it.  Similarly a survey quoted on here said that 75% of players were happy and ready to come. Some wouldn't but that is their choice.

But that choice has been taken away by the ARL and NZRL under pressure from the clubs.  The issue was the competition and the quarantine and how that would impact NRL 2022... the player welfare messaging is an attempt to deflect.  Give them the choice, don't take a potential once in a lifetime experience away from them without consultation. 

The players are as much a victim of this selfish decision as the fans.

 

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"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

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8 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

And the infection rates in Japan compared with UK are?

Rising. 

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/japan/

But kind of irrelevant when you consider: 

a) Cases aren't important as long as deaths are low 

b) the welfare issues in the statement don't elude to fear of catching covid, it's more about the bio security and quarantine

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Just now, theswanmcr said:

Interesting… will the RLPA be timid and know where their pay check comes from (as NRLhope) or will they go guns blazing at the appalling lack of consultation? More fun to be had over the coming days!

My money is on a climb down, followed by a steady trickle of players withdrawing from the competition. The mentalities aren't all that different in reality.

 

Sport, amongst other things, is a dream-world offering escape from harsh reality and the disturbing prospect of change.

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2 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

That doesn't answer the question. FYI the comparative rates are orders of magnitude different. Japan has locked down; we have thrown open the gates and shouted "stuff it". I can understand some people being just a bit circumspect about visiting the UK at present.

it doesnt matter what the different levels are like because the countries are very much at different stages... its obvious if you want to look at it along with vaccinations and hospitalisations.. but lets not derail and get John getting the delete option back out agian.. its a pointless argument as they are 2 extremely different situations and not only that but where we are today is irrelevant its where we are in 3 months when they actually land that is important.. and we are on track to be more than ok by all the modelling.

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3 hours ago, Honor James said:

Well done Schoey!  What a bunch of wimps they have turned out to be `down under'.

Well said, they've shown themselves to be a right bunch of Sheilas!

3 hours ago, Smudger06 said:

I'm cutting ties with the NRL, not watching it until the day comes they atone. Can't believe they've managed to drag the kiwis down as well. 

What's surprising about that considering that the game in NZ is financially dependent on the Aussies?

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2 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

Today's announcement has probably revealed the existence of the RWC to many who wouldn't have known about it. 

Is this our opportunity, given the amount of emotion on here alone, to 1) sell more tickets to the home audience that are mostly incensed and want to support NH RL and stick a finger up to the NRL? 2) push this to a wider audience in the UK?

Could we capitalise on all this PR and sell a few more tickets?

Esp. as the general public may get behind an England team with a very good chance of winning it...
I suppose it depends on whether we can prove its still a legitimate product. To sponsors, the media, fans.

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1 minute ago, RP London said:

it doesnt matter what the different levels are like because the countries are very much at different stages... its obvious if you want to look at it along with vaccinations and hospitalisations.. but lets not derail and get John getting the delete option back out agian.. its a pointless argument as they are 2 extremely different situations and not only that but where we are today is irrelevant its where we are in 3 months when they actually land that is important.. and we are on track to be more than ok by all the modelling.

It may well be a pointless argument here on a forum but don't you think that these are exactly the sort of things that have been discussed before making this decision? Despite what some on here have suggested this wasn't a "back of a fag packet" decision.

Sport, amongst other things, is a dream-world offering escape from harsh reality and the disturbing prospect of change.

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6 minutes ago, theswanmcr said:

Interesting… will the RLPA be timid and know where their pay check comes from (as NRLhope) or will they go guns blazing at the appalling lack of consultation? More fun to be had over the coming days!

Yeah i'm nervous that NRL spin doctors are in the ear of people at the RLPA and we'll end up with a lukewarm 'We're very disappointed.......but understand why the decision has been made' type statement. 

I'm praying it's more robust than that and almost leaves the ARLC with no choice but to reply. We can but hope. 

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